


Hidden Mistletoe

by noorakardemmomesaetre



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Holiday, M/M, Mistletoe, Romance, Speed Dating, tropes on tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 01:32:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13136355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noorakardemmomesaetre/pseuds/noorakardemmomesaetre
Summary: Holiday speed dating is a Riverdale tradition and this year is no different, except for the fact that Betty Cooper is fighting her feelings for her best friend, Jughead Jones, as the game commences.





	Hidden Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sprousehartboi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sprousehartboi/gifts).



> This is a Secret Santa gift for the absolutely lovely @bugheadboi! I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a fantastic 2018! I hope you like this! ❤
> 
> Also, huge shoutout to @elegantmoonchild for creating the Sweet Pea x Veronica ship, I gave them a nod in this fic because I love them so much ever since her fic!!

“I can’t believe I let you sign me up for this, Betts.” 

Betty can’t help the grin tugging at the corners of her mouth as the group walk along the frosted streets of Riverdale towards the auditorium.

“Holiday Speed Dating is a Riverdale tradition, Jughead, and my first time! We can’t _not_ do it,” Veronica giggles, her arm looped through Betty’s, “besides, anyone who’s anyone in this tiny town will be there.” 

“That’s _definitely_ not how you get Jughead to come to an event,” Archie teases, giving Jughead a playful shove until his best friend smiles as they arrive at their destination.

Bright white Christmas lights and multi-colored tinsil decorate the entrance of the Riverdale auditorium. Small, two-seater tables are set up in a large circle surrounding an overly large heavily-decorated Christmas tree. There is a hot chocolate station that Jughead immediately heads to while Archie and the girls head to the sign-in counter.

“I am too excited about this,” Kevin says as he rushes up behind the girls, his name tag placed proudly over his holiday-themed sweater, “the Serpents are here!”

Betty may have begged Jughead to invite a few of his serpent friends, specifically Toni, Sweet Pea, and Joaquin because of her friends spiked interest in them. It was a rare occasion for the Southside High students to mingle with Riverdale High and Betty hadn’t been able to let go of the opportunity. Especially when she had such an in with her best friend, the Serpent Prince.

“Okay, find your seats everyone! Those interested in girls on the outer seats, interested in guys on the inner!”

“Great, let the torture commence,” Jughead huffs next to Betty, sipping his hot chocolate carefully and eliciting a giggle from his best friend. 

“This is going to be fun, Juggie! You’re going to make so many friends,” Betty says softly, turning to give him an encouraging smile. The way he shakes his head before giving her a gentle smile makes something flutter deep inside of her heart, but she quickly ignores the feeling. He brushes his fingers against her lower back before heading to a seat on the outer part of the circle.

“Welcome to Riverdale High’s traditional Holiday Speed Dating! You get three minutes at each table, the inner circle moves to the next seat at the bell, the outer circle remains seated. There are sheets of paper with fun questions you can ask each other if need be! Let’s begin!”

 The bell rings out as Betty slides into her seat across from Sweet Pea, who flashes her an easy smile.

“What’s good, Betty Cooper?” 

Betty can’t help but roll her eyes, flashing a genuinely happy to see him smile back at him. It had taken her several months to win over Sweet Pea as Jughead’s right hand man, but she had finally done it and they now had an air of comfort and ease about them.

“I hope your holidays are going well, Sweet Pea,” Betty says, reaching to grab the questions sheet, “let’s see which of these questions is the most interesting-“

 “Betty, look, we both know you’re spoken for and my interests lie with something a little darker,” he says, leaning forward and letting his eyes drift to where Veronica is sitting, talking rapidly to a guy who looks much too intimidated to be engaged, “so we can forget the amateur get-to-know-me game.”

 Betty’s eyebrows furrow, “I’m _not_ spoken for.” 

Sweet Pea leans back in his seat, folding his arms and letting his eyes roam the room before squinting at something, “Whoa, looks like Jughead’s _really interested_ in his partner.”

 “What?” Betty quickly turns around, her cheeks burning until her eyes land on a very bored-looking Jughead, whose eyes lift to hers immediately. He smiles a tight I-hate-everything smile over his hot chocolate before his eyes return to the girl who is talking animatedly to him.

The bell _dings_  signaling the end of their conversation as Betty turns back to a smirking Sweet Pea, his eyebrows raised.

“Right, Betty, definitely _not_ spoken for.”

Betty quickly gets up to move to the next seat, glaring at Sweet Pea who shakes his head at her teasingly before turning his focus to the new girl in front of him.

“Betty.” 

The polite-dripping-in-fake-happiness greeting comes from one of Betty’s closest friends, Cheryl Blossom, who is sitting on the ‘interested in girls’ side and reapplying her dark red lipstick, a rose gold compact in her hand.

“Happy holidays, Cheryl!” Betty says brightly, before glancing around, “did Toni end up coming?”

“Oh, you _know_ that fine piece of ass is here or I certainly wouldn’t be,” Cheryl snaps, glancing pointedly across the room at the long pink tendrils that are currently sitting across from Jughead.

Betty lets her gaze drift past to Toni to Jughead again, admiring the way a dark curl is falling from his beanie just into his left eye as he talks to her. She bites her lip and quickly turns her attention back to Cheryl, who has closed her compact and is now observing Betty with a raised eyebrow. 

“Shall we play?” she motions to the questions and Betty quickly grabs them in an effort to distract Cheryl, reading off the first question she sees.

 “What is your favorite hobby?”

Cheryl pushes back her long red hair and pretends to think about it before shrugging, “people watching.” 

Betty laughs before shaking her head, “what do you mean?”

“I mean _people watching._ Like the way I just watched you check out your ‘best friend,’ Jughead Jones,” she smiles innocently, but Betty can feel the heat in her cheeks rising again and is beginning to really regret coming to this event. Can everyone tell she has a crush on Jughead?

She sure as hell hoped not. Because she doesn’t. Have a crush on him.

“Cheryl, I was not-“ 

The bell rings out loudly, signaling for the inner circle to move to their next seats. Betty groans before she spends the next two seats with two guys she’s never met before, and quite frankly, wishes she still hadn’t. As she moves a little closer to Jughead’s table in the circle, she looks up to see his eyes already focused on her. He bites his lip and quickly looks into his mug of hot cocoa (that must be gone at this point, Betty thinks).

“Betty! Finally, someone I don’t have to feign interest in.”

“Wow, Archie, is nobody meeting anyone they want to be friends with tonight?” Betty asks, surprised that even the one guy she knows has eyes for almost every girl in Riverdale, hasn’t found one that has peaked his interest.

“Eh, there may have been one who was particulary pretty,” he shrugs, running his fingers through his hair before asking, “anyone new catch your eye?”

“Um,” Betty says, playing absentmindedly with the tinsel on their table, “not really.” 

He’s quiet at that, too quiet, and Betty’s eyes lift to see Archie biting his lip to keep from laughing.

“What?”

 “No one _new,_ huh?”

“Not really?” Betty says, not picking up on his insinuation, glancing over at Jughead who now has his beanie in his hand, his fingers running through his dark curls as he nods at the girl in front of him. Betty’s mouth falls open slightly at the sight of her best friend sans beanie, her heartbeat ringing in her ears. His eyes find her quickly, as if he can feel her looking at him, and his eyebrow cocks, a small smile crossing his face.

Betty quickly turns back to Archie who grins at her as the bell rings out, “Only one more table to go, Betty, you can do it.” 

Betty’s mouth falls open when she realizes he’s suggesting there’s only one more table she has to go through before she’s sitting with Jughead.

“I’m _not_ interested in Jug-“

“Hi! Are you Archie Andrews?” a pretty girl in a red dress offers her hand to Archie, effectively shoving Betty to the next table. 

“Hi Joaquin,” Betty’s tone is clearly disgruntled as she sits down, wondering how in the world everyone thinks she’s into Jughead tonight. She’s clearly not. They’ve been best friends for so long and while, yes, he may be attractive, smart, funny in a sardonic type-of-way, with those hands that look capable of doing dirty-what the fuck. She’s not into him. Period. 

“Rough night, Betty?” Joaquin sips his hot cocoa, his manner stoic as he peers at her over his steaming mug. Betty tugs on the sleeves of her forest green and cream sweater, but smiles at him, happy to be seated with a friend.

“Have you gotten to sit with Kev yet?” she asks, leaning forward as he sets down his mug. His eyes drift to where Kevin is seated across from Archie and shakes his head.

“Not yet, but he’s next,” he says, running his fingers down his black sweater in an effort to smooth it down, “I’m hoping he’ll be interest in grabbing Pop’s after this.”

 “Aw, that sounds like a lot of fun, I’m sure he’d be interested!”

“You and Jughead can join us, if you’d like. I know Sweet Pea is asking Veronica.”

“That sounds like a triple date, Joaquin,” Betty giggles, shaking her head, “I don’t think Jughead and I would really fit into that description.”

Joaquin shrugs, taking another sip of his hot cocoa, “Jughead wasn’t against the idea when I asked him.”

Betty’s eyes widen in surprise as the sound of the bell interrupts them. Joaquin’s face lights up when Kevin immediately stands to make his way over. Betty quickly gets up and moves to the next chair, smiling at Kevin as he sits across from Joaquin. Her eyes roam to where Cheryl is leaning across her table, whispering something to a blushing Toni, and Sweet Pea is smirking cockily at a flirtacious Veronica.

“Looks like all is finally right in the world tonight,” Jughead’s voice interrupts her thoughts and Betty quickly turns to face him, her heart pounding in her ears at the sight of his stormy blue eyes, “how’s it going, Betts?”

“Pretty well, Juggie, how about for you?”

“Better now,” he smiles at her genuinely and Betty looks down, hoping the fire in her cheeks can be dismissed by the cold. _He means because he doesn’t have to try with you. Because you’re friends and it’s easy._

His fingers fly to the hair that has fallen from his beanie, playing with it nervously while he watches her, his face soft. 

“Have you met anyone you like?” Betty finally asks, offering him a playful smile as she attempts to hide the jealousy coloring that question.

His hand drops to his lap as he laughs to himself, sticking his tongue in his cheek before he meets her eyes again, “You know, even though I _thrive_ in forced social situations, Betts, no. Not really.”

His sarcasm makes her giggle and she can’t help but bite her lip with the satisfaction of knowing no one had caught his eye.

“What about you?” 

“No,” Betty says and his eyebrow raises at the speed of her answer, “I mean, not really, everyone is really nice, but I’m not…really…interested.”

The bell rings out signaling for them to move to the next table and Betty reluctantly stands, flashing her perfect-Betty-Cooper-smile at Jughead before he reaches out and grabs her hand.

“Actually, I think I’m done here, do you want to leave?” 

“Oh,” Betty forces herself to keep her cool as she glances at their other friends, realizing quickly that Cheryl and Toni have already left, “yeah, that would be great!”

Jughead stands, his hand still wrapped around hers, as he turns to Joaquin, “you guys ready?”

Joaquin reaches his hand out to Kevin, who graciously intertwines his fingers with Joaquin’s as they nod and fall into step in front of Jughead and Betty heading out to the parking lot.

Betty tries to ignore the fact that Jughead’s hand is still holding hers as she waves at Veronica and Sweet Pea, who are engaged in a heated conversation, the inner circle having moved around them.

As they head out to the lobby, Jughead tugs Betty’s hand, leading her to where there’s a small decorated Christmas tree.

“Betty, I…uh-“

Betty smiles slightly, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion at the way her best friend is acting, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he glances around the lobby.

“Juggie?” 

He sighs, shaking his head, his cheeks pink before he finally says, “this is completely cheesy, but I can’t let one more holiday pass without letting you know how I feel.”

Betty’s heart hammers against her chest as she looks at him, eyes widening as he motions to the mistletoe hanging precariously from doorframe above them.

His lips press against hers in a soft, swift motion, and Betty feels herself blinking as he pulls away quickly, question marks in his eyes.

She wraps her arms around his neck, kissing him back in a more certain embrace, allowing his hands to wrap around her lower back. He pulls away, smiling widely before whispering, “damn, I’m so glad I hung that there earlier today.”


End file.
